(From left) Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the U.S. military, Pope Benedict XVI, and then-President George W. Bush during the Popes 2008 visit to the United States.

The archbishop for the U.S. military spoke out for the first time against the effort to repeal dont ask, dont tell, setting up a possible conflict between Pentagon brass and the 285 Roman Catholic priests who serve on active-duty in the military.

Those with a homosexual orientation can expect respect and treatment worthy of their human dignity, said Archbishop Timothy Broglio, Catholic overseer for military chaplains, in a statement released late last week. However, unions between individuals of the same gender resembling marriage will not be accepted or blessed by Catholic chaplains.

Broglio was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI two and a half years ago, though it is unclear if the archbishop speaks for the Vatican, which has so far been mum on the issue.

Catholic priests serve an estimated 1.5 million Catholic men and women in the U.S. military, according to the Archdiocese website.

The statement follows an April 28 letter from 41 retired Army, Air Force and Navy chaplains to President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates saying that repealing the rule would present chaplains with a profoundly difficult moral choicewhether to obey God or men.

Sacrificing the moral beliefs of individuals or their living conditions to respond to merely political considerations is neither just nor prudent especially for the armed forces at a time of war, Broglio said. Catholics believe that nothing will be done if there is a careful and prudent evaluation of the effects of a change.

An evaluation by the Pentagon is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 1, but by then, Congress may have already passed legislation to repeal the Clinton-era rule that allows gays to serve in the military only if they do not reveal their sexual orientation.

The provision is steadily making its way through Congress on the coattails of a $760 billion defense spending bill, and it has strong supporters in Gates, Obama and Adm. Mike Mullen, Joint Chiefs chairman.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 16-12 to repeal the policy on March 27. So did the House of Representatives 234-194. If the bill passes the Senate, the Pentagon would still need to wait until the Dec. 1 study is delivered to remove the ban.

The chiefs of the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps all oppose repeal.

A number of chaplains and commanding officers have expressed concerns about the effects of a change, Broglio wrote. There is a request for guidance.

Guidance from the Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear: Homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law, and under no circumstance can they be approved.

So what happens when a gay man or woman serving his or her country seeks guidance from a priest? Does the priest withhold a blessing? Would the priest have freedom to espouse the Catholic teaching that homosexuality is objectively disordered?

No restrictions or limitations on the teaching of Catholic morality can be accepted, said Broglio. First Amendment rights regarding the free exercise of religion must be respected.

But Broglio made it clear that compassion would be a top priority as chaplains walk a razors edge.

Catholic chaplains must show compassion for persons with a homosexual orientation but can never condone  even silently  homosexual behavior, Broglio said. A change might have a negative effect on the role of the chaplain not only in the pulpit, but also in the classroom, in the barracks, and in the office.

Paul Conner is an online editor with the Daily Caller. He was a contributing writer for four years with the Greenville News covering high school sports in Upstate South Carolina before interning with TheDC last spring and summer. A Palmetto State native, he covered South Carolina politics during the 2010 midterm elections for TheDC and is a recent graduate of North Greenville University (S.C.) with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Chaplains in the Military

Serving Catholics in the Military, on Land, in the Air, and at Sea

Imagine your job is to provide spiritual and emotional support and guidance to a parish of thousands of mostly young men and women. Imagine most of the people in your parish move away every three years and that new people move in. Imagine that you too, must move and start learning the ropes of a new place, and that you are the only priest in the area.

That constant change is part of the every day life and work of Catholic chaplains in the military. Unlike a priest in a civilian parish, chaplains in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard must work with a constantly changing group of people. It is a personal ministry of presence, caring for the needs of Catholic military personnel and their families.

A Parish that Stretches Across the World

The work of chaplains is not confined to the chapel. They go wherever their people arein a tent in the desert, on the deck of an aircraft carrier, in the barracks on base, on a fire-fighting line, in the VA hospital, in the halls of the Pentagon.

Because military service requires extraordinary sacrifices of those who serve and their families, chaplains strive to make themselves available and present, day or night, to offer guidance, education, and direction on Church doctrine or simply to listen. Through their words and actions, they provide a place where those in the military can take comfort in and draw strength from the sacraments and reflect on the responsibilities and challenges they have taken on to protect their fellow Americans.

A Flexible, Creative Ministry

The 1.5 million Catholics served by chaplains are a diverse group: 5th generation soldiers, new citizens, young people from cities and farms, veterans, people in positions of command, young mothers and fathers. Chaplains often speak about the exciting, creative nature of their ministry. They seek ways to reach out and connect with the different people they serve on a personal level, an opportunity they note is hard to come by in a civilian parish.

The days are long. It can be lonely. Yet if you talk to most any of the priest-chaplains in the military, they will tell you they would not trade this ministry for any other. The rewards are great. The support of people in the military is there. They are open to spiritual growth and willing to work hard for it. As the people in our military do the difficult work of protecting our freedom, Catholic chaplains walk beside them, providing the spiritual and emotional strength they need.

**Catholic chaplains must show compassion for persons with a homosexual orientation but can never condone  even silently  homosexual behavior, Broglio said. A change might have a negative effect on the role of the chaplain not only in the pulpit, but also in the classroom, in the barracks, and in the office.**

The role of the Catholic and REAL Christian chaplains must be so difficult these days.

So what happens when a gay man or woman serving his or her country seeks guidance from a priest? Does the priest withhold a blessing? Would the priest have freedom to espouse the Catholic teaching that homosexuality is objectively disordered?

I know the answer to this one and I am not even Catholic.

Seeking guidance or asking for a blessing is not and has never been an issue. If requested, the Catholic Chaplain is obviously going to do whatever he can to provide guidance to the gay service member, including prayer and blessings (as appropriate).

However, what he is not going to do is violate the beliefs he has sworn to protect and uphold by delivering sacraments to those who are not qualified to receive them.

8
posted on 10/04/2011 12:42:23 AM PDT
by Ronin
(If we were serious about using the death penalty as a deterrent, we would bring back public hangings)

>>Many men will go off to battle without the brave Chaplains to administer the last Rites or Communion on the Battlefield<<

Maybe you have never heard of the lavender mafia. How many of us have parishes with openly gay EMHCs or music directors?
Seriously, there are enough priests that are liberal enough to “overlook” sexual preference.

Pitifully.

All they are doing is supporting the libs.

12
posted on 10/04/2011 4:52:30 AM PDT
by netmilsmom
(Happiness is a choice)

I respect any who is caught in the web of homosexual deceit. I tell them up front I agree 100% with what is written from Genesis to the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And find it as True today as when first written by men inspired by God. I tell them as well that I also agree with what Gen.Colin Powell wrote of “sexual Orientation” in the early part of the decade of the 1990’s it is perhaps one of the most profound of human behavioral characteristics. For what he wrote in Crisis also remains true. I cannot claim I respect those of the homosexual sexual orientation and not tell the the Truth written in Scripture. I cannot respect someone at danger of being consumed in the fire to come unless I do all in my power in Christ to see they know there is an escape. Unless they repent of their ways they will die in their sins.

According to sodomites and their Sodomite-in-Chief, “gay” is now the new black, equivalent in every way to race, and therefore, any disparaging word against homosexuality will be construed as tantamount to KKK-racism against blacks. How long does anyone think a chaplain is going to last in that environment?

17
posted on 10/04/2011 6:33:40 AM PDT
by fwdude
("When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve ...")

Maybe you have never heard of the lavender mafia. How many of us have parishes with openly gay EMHCs or music directors?

I thank God constantly that our pastor was the only one who could be bothered to return my phone calls when I started inquiring in 2004... I've been to some of these parishes and they're utterly miserable.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 16-12 to repeal the policy on March 27. So did the House of Representatives 234-194

Therein lies the problem, Salvation. Notice that the Republican controlled House caved on this...the voted FOR repeal of DADT.

This should tell us that there are a large number of so-called "fiscal" conservatives in the House. IOW, they believe in anything goes so long as you balance your checkbook. They are a blight on this nation, and they are PROOF that no matter who wins the presidency, we are going to get same-old-same-old.

25
posted on 10/04/2011 8:02:03 AM PDT
by xzins
(Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their VICTORY!)

I recall a conversation I had with a close friend and former Catholic Chaplain in the Air Force (he retired as a Brig. General). It would be an understatement to say he is one of the most magnificent men I have ever known.

Just as an aside, if I recall our conversation correctly, there have been four Chaplains who have been awarded the Medal of Honor and all four were Catholic Chaplains.

Now more than ever, we NEED all Christian Chaplains in our military. They must be allowed to live their faith and provide solice and counsel to members of our military without government intervention.

EODGUY

31
posted on 10/04/2011 12:18:16 PM PDT
by EODGUY
(Hold on to your copies of the Consititution of the United States. It is going to be re-written.)

The end of DADT should effectively mean no changes for the chaplains. They still bless those who ask for it and extend sacraments to those who are eligible. The DoD can't require them to give communion to someone who isn't Catholic so they shouldn't be required to extend marriage to someone that isn't eligible for the sacrament either.

If the Pentagon and the white house had done a proper investigation into this insane policy there would be no conflict but of course we know this was done, rushed through and then will be used to overthrow DOMA.

This out of anything should be dealt with as soon as we take power and remove this insane policy of allowing homosexuals to serve openly

41
posted on 10/04/2011 5:05:19 PM PDT
by manc
(Marriage=1man+ 1 woman, Don't speak up, be a coward and the family, military etc will be destroyed)

I and my wife went ot our church to get signatures for the marriage amendment and half the old people told us either they did not want to sign anything and a couple said they have no problem with homo marriage.

What on earth, now I’m not very religious, say a prayer on a Sunday before dinner, celebrate the holidays and I do say Christmas because i am very stubborn and I do correct folks but for these people who say they are church goers and very religious to now say they have no problem is disgusting...

I seriously am thinking of going to a Catholic church and seeing a priest to convert and maybe go back to church as the religion still stands for what it used to and will not cave in due to PC and a sick agenda.

46
posted on 10/04/2011 5:57:00 PM PDT
by manc
(Marriage=1man+ 1 woman, Don't speak up, be a coward and the family, military etc will be destroyed)

Dear Romulus, context matters. In a hypothetical thought experiment, sure it is easy to choose between obeying God or man. But when one has to consider that it may cost one's job or life, not everyone has the honesty, fortitude, courage and faith of St. Thomas More. Knowing the right answer and choosing it are two distinctly different things.

In general terms, you make a valid point, and I did consider it before posting. But here we are talking chiefly of Catholic chaplains, who are in the happy position of not having wives and children family relying on them. Freed from powerful temptations to compromise, it becomes easier for them to make the right choice, one that arguably would call for greater heroism from a lay person living in the world.

To be sure, matters are being engineered in this way not so much to cow chaplains into submission as to make their continuing ministry in uniform impossible and thus drive them from view. This will present a hardship and spiritual danger to service members — but sanguis martyrum semen Christianorum.

I’m sure we agree that before going underground Catholic citizens (and all others of good will) should loudly defend their civil and human rights to practice their religion unmolested.

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